Brat, the term coined by British singer Charli XCX, has been named the Collins Word of the Year 2024. The music star, real name Charlotte Aitchison, sent TikTok into a spiral earlier this year when her sixth studio album titled Brat inspired a trend that became a lifestyle, rather than just an aesthetic.
The dictionary said Brat was redefined as being "characterised by a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude" and rapidly became the aesthetic movement of the summer. The movement became about embodying self-love, positive body image and sultry style choices, marking a sharp departure from the preceding "clean girl" trend, which promoted things such as yoga, early nights and slicked back hair.
Lexicographers at Collins Dictionary put "brat" at the top of the list after looking at media sources, including social media, because the term has been "embraced so widely". The dictionary said the phrase had become "one of the most talked about words of 2024".
Kamala Harris overhauled her campaign's online presence by embracing the social media trend. The Democratic presidential nominee scattered references to the album across her campaign's account in July, renaming her profile Kamala HQ.
Her rebrand comes as Charli showed her support by tweeting "kamala IS brat" shortly after President Joe Biden announced he was stepping out of the race for the White House and endorsed his vice-president.
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BANG Showbiz.)Charli told the BBC that brat is a concept that represents a person who might have "a pack of cigs, a Bic lighter and a strappy white top with no bra". On social media Charli said: “You’re just like that girl who is a little messy and likes to party and maybe says some dumb things some times.
“Who feels like herself but maybe also has a breakdown. But kind of like parties through it, is very honest, very blunt. A little bit volatile. Like, does dumb things. But it’s brat. You’re brat. That’s brat.”
Another word on the list, which highlights the role of female musicians shaping popular culture, is "era" - inspired by Taylor Swift's billion-dollar Eras Tour which takes fans through her back catalogue.
The dictionary described it as "a period of one's life or career that is of a distinctive character". Other words which feature on the list include "yapping", which refers to talking at length especially about an inconsequential matter, and "delulu", meaning utterly mistaken or unrealistic in one's ideas or expectations.
"Rawdogging", which follows a TikTok trend where people post videos of themselves spending long-haul flights doing nothing other than staring at the seat in front of them, also features.
Alex Beecroft, managing director of Collins, said: "With many of this year's notable words being popularised by generations Z and Alpha, we can confidently say this is the most 'brat' Word of the Year list ever."
The lexicographers at Collins Dictionary monitor their 20-billion-word database to create the annual list of new and notable words that reflect our ever-evolving language and the preoccupations of those who use it.
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